Difference between CV and Resume: Which One You Should Use?

Published on 2018-08-29 11:38:47. by Bonnie J. Coulter

When you are preparing the document for applying a position, you will write a resume if you are American and a CV if you are British. However, is it all about? The difference between resume and CV is more than just who use it, but what is included. You can have both resume and CV like Australian when you know you need both of them for applying a job because these two really have different purposes and focuses. The reason that people usually use only one of them is because they think both of them are the same thing. There are indeed some similarities between the two of them, but there are also some differences you need to know so that you can make both of them when the company asks for both.

Content

One of the differences between the two of them is the content. CV is more detail in providing information about yourself including your education, experiences, awards and many others. It provides all the information required to tell who you are in more details. In your resume you will also include your experiences and education, but only those related with the job. So your resume should be more specific while the CV is more general. The similarities are you need to include your contact information and name in both of them.

Writing

Making a CV is easier than a resume because one CV can be used for all kinds of jobs. You don’t have to modify it to suit your specific job position. It consists of list of all things that you did in the past in general. It also covers your completed contact information. However, if you are writing a resume, you can’t use one for all because a resume is more personal and specific. It only covers your related experiences and skills with the job. It doesn’t contain completed contact information as your CV that contains all aspects of your life in forms of list. Resume is made by making some categories and with different headers for covering different things specifically. You need to know how to write them properly because they determine your success in entering the position.

Usage

Because the two of them have almost the same purpose and content, the use of resume and CV is different depending on where you live. If you are American, you will write a CV for applying positions related with science, academic, research or international jobs. Most jobs are applied using a resume unless you need to apply one of those types of jobs. Canadians have the same rules as Americans they use resume for most jobs. However, if you are British, you will never use a resume for applying job. All British always use CV for applying all kinds of job, so do the people in New Zealand and Ireland. Australian uses both of them because they have different purposes in having resume and CV. If they apply a more public position, then a CV will be made while for a more private one, resume is more appropriate.

Rules

While CV can be used in all kinds of positions without modification, it should be well written and arranged chronologically. Don’t make your resume simple, short or brief. You need to make it very detail. Your resume, on the other hand, should be straightforward. So in terms of rules, these two have a quite big difference. Don’t worry about how many pages you have to spend in your CV because your overall aspects should be covered. Resume should be no more than two pages or the hiring manager will be bored and uninterested.

90/100 by 23466 users

Other Samples of Difference between CV and Resume: Which One You Should Use?